Inventec will make the computers for Google, the world's largest search-engine operator, starting with an initial batch of about 65,000, according to DigiTimes. But Google won't be selling its Chrome notebook through retail channels, the publication reported. Google's Chrome operating system will also be featured on new Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Acer computers.

Entering the laptop market could help Google boost sales, as analysts expect sales of mobile-computing devices to continue growing in the next few years. Research firm In-Stat in September forecast that shipments of mobile-computing devices will grow 19% annually over the next four years, with laptops accounting for almost three quarters of that total.